Mixing bowl lift truck

ABSTRACT

The truck, which is mounted for horizontal movement on a plurality of casters, includes an upright cabinet, and a pair of spaced, parallel, bowl-supporting arms which project horizontally out of a pair of vertical slots in the front wall of the cabinet. The arms can be elevated or lowered, selectively, by a hydraulic mechanism mounted in the cabinet. At their free ends the arms carry adjustably mounted bowl supports, which, when the arms are elevated, engage the handles at opposite sides of a mixing bowl to support the bowl releasably on the arms, and which automatically become disengaged from the bowl handles, when the arms are lowered to deposit the bowl on a surface. Manually operable means is provided for tipping the bowl for pouring its contents, while the bowl is supported on the arms.

Umted States Patent 11 1 [11] 3,

Greaves [4 Nov. 4, 1975 MIXING BOWL LIFT TRUCK Primary ExaminerFrank E. Werner [76] Inventor: Roland E. Greaves, 1036 Harvard Exam"e LawreCe Omsk) St., Rochester, NY. 14610 57 ABSTRACT [22] Filed: May 1974 The truck, which is mounted for horizontal movement 21 App] 4 9 9 on a plurality of casters, includes an upright cabinet, and a pair of spaced, parallel, bowl-supporting arms which project horizontally out of a pair of vertical [52] US. Cl 214/313; 294/67 DC Slots in the from Wall of the cabinet The arms can be [51] Int. Cl. B65G 65/04 elevated or lowered, Selectively by a hydraulic mech- [58] Fleld of Search 214/313 anism mounted in the cabinet. -At their free ends the 214/315 701 701 P; 294/67 73 arms carry adjustably mounted bowl supports, which,

when the arms are elevated, engage the handles at op- [56] References cued posite sides of a mixing bowl to support the bowl re- UNITED STATES PATENTS leasably on the arms,, and which automatically become 1,266,828 5/1913 Lane 214/313 disengaged from thebowl handles, when the arms are 1,520,047 12/1924 Alden et a1. 214/313 lowered to deposit the bowl on a surface. Manually 2,971,662 2/1961 Dunham 214/313 operable means is provided for tipping the bowl for 3,112,834 12/1963 Dempster et a1. 214/731 pouring its contents while the bow] is supported on 3,174,634 3/1965 Peck 214/75 R the arms 6 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures B I *4I 40- I :-.-::::.:::::.:.1:-. 4 I

Sheet 1 of 2 US. Patent Nov. 4, 1975 US. Patent Nov. 4, 1975 Sheet 2 of2 3,917,093

MIXING BOWL LIFT TRUCK This invention relates to mobile lift trucks, and more particularly to a truck having novel bowl lifting means thereon for picking up and transporting large mixing bowls in commercial kitchens, and the like.

It is quite common for the cooks of most commercial or institutional kitchens to use large, stainless steel mixing bowls, which may have anywhere from 12 to 60 quart capacities, for example. Even when empty these bowls often weigh as much as 25 pounds; and when filled may weigh upwardly of from 75 to 100 pounds or more.

Because of their excessive weight and size, as compared, for example to conventional bowls, these large, commercial mixing bowls are difficult to manipulate. To simplify their handling, it has been proposed to employ simple trucks for conveying them about a kitchen or the like. Moreover, in view of the fact that the loaded bowls are so heavy, it has been proposed also to employ separate bowl handling devices for elevating and/or dumping the bowls. The disadvantage of these trucks and handling devices is that one is difficult to use with the other, unless they are specifically designed to cooperate with one another. Even then, such prior equipment has the disadvantage that the truck device must be used to convey bowls to and from the bowl handling device, so that the utility of the latter is extremely limited.

It is an object of this invention, therefore, to provide a novel lift truck, which is particularly adapted to elevate and convey commercial mixing bowls in commercial or institutional kitchens, and the like.

Another object of this invention is to provide novel bowl handling means, which is mounted on a mobile platform or truck so as to be readily movable between various working stations in a kitchen.

Still another object of this invention is to provide for a lift truck of the type described, novel bowl supporting means, which is engageable with the handles of standard commercial mixing bowls releasably and securly to support the bowls on the truck during movement thereby.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent hereinafter from the specification and from the recital of the appended claims, particularly when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a mixing bowl lift truck made according to one embodiment of this invention, with part of the truck being broken away and shown in section, and illustrating in broken lines a conventional mixing bowl mounted on the truck;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of this truck with a mixing bowl again being shown thereon by broken lines;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken generally along the line 3-3 in FIG. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows, and with part of one of the bowl supporting arms being broken away;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the truck; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 55 in FIG. 4 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawings by numerals of reference, denotes generally a lift truck comprising an upright cabinet 11 having thereon a removable cover 12, and having a plane bottom 13 (FIG. 3) supported adjacent opposite ends thereof on a pair of conventional casters 14. Two, spaced, parallel legs 16, which project forwardly from the face of cabinet 11, are also supported at their outer ends on another pair of casters 18.

Mounted in the cabinet 11 is a hydraulic cylinder 20 (FIGS. 1 and 3), the lower, closed end of which is connected to a clevis bracket 21, which is secured to the bottom 13 of the cabinet. Cylinder 20 contains a telescopic piston rod 23 (FIG. 3), which projects out of the upper end of the cylinder. Rotatably mounted on another clevis or yoke 24, which isfastened to the upper end of the piston rod 23, is a pulley 26. A cable 27,

which passes around the pulley 26, is fastened at one end 28 to the bottom of the cabinet 11 adjacent its rear wall, and at its opposite end 29 is connected to a horizontal bar 31, which is movable vertically in the cabinet 11 as noted hereinafter.

Opposite ends of the bar 31 are secured to the rear or inner ends of two, spaced, parallel bowl lifting arms 32 and 33, which project slidably through a pair of spaced, vertical slots 34 and 35 (FIGS. 2 and 3) in the front wall of cabinet 11. Rotatably mounted on the arms 32 and 33 adjacent their inner ends are two, identical guide rollers 36, only one of which is shown in FIG. 3. Rollers 36 project outwardly from the arms into the grooved faces of a pair of vertical channels or guide tracks 38 and 39, which are secured in cabinet 11 rearwardly of its front wall. Arms 32 and 33 are supported horizontally and in cantilever fashion on tracks 38 and 39 by a pair of diagonal braces 40 and 41 (FIGS. 1 to 4), which are welded or otherwise secured at their outer ends to the upper surfaces of arms 32 and 33, and which project diagonally rearwardly into the cabinet 11 through the slots 34 and 35. Rotatably mounted on the rear ends of the braces 40 and 41, and projecting slidably and rotatably into the grooved surfaces of the vertical guide tracks 38 and 39, are two other, identical guide rollers 42 (FIGS. 1 and 3).

Removably and adjustably mounted on the insides of the arms 32 and 33 adjacent their outer ends are two, similarly-shaped bowl supports 44 and 45, respectively. As shown in greater detail in FIG. 5, support 45 comprises a rectangular base section 46 having in its upper surface a slot 47 for accommodating the hand grip portion H of one of the two handles H on a conventional, commercial mixing bowl of the type illustrated in broken lines at B in FIGS. 1, 2, 4 and 5. Projecting from the face of the base section 46 is an integral leg 47, which carries at its outer end an upright, arcuate flange 48. This flange is adapted to engage the outside of the bowl B, and to project beneath the rolled lip which surrounds the open end of the bowl, when the latter is supported on truck 10 as shown in the drawings.

The support 45 is removably and pivotally mounted on the arm 33 by a bolt 51 (FIGS. 3 and 5) having a shank which projects slidably through a bore 52 in the base section, and through a washer or spacer 53 into a registering bore 54 in the arm 33. A cap nut 55 is threaded on the outer end of the bolt 51 to draw its head against section 46, but also to permit the support 45 to pivot about the bolt 51 as noted hereinafter.

Mounted on the outside of arm 32 adjacent its outer end is a conventional self-locking, quick-acting worm and gear unit (FIGS. 1 and 2). This unit has an output shaft 61, which projects rotatably through a registering opening in the arm 32, and which is releasably fastened to the base section 46 of the other bowl support 44 to mount support 44 for pivotal movement about the same axis as the support 45. Projecting from the outer surface of the unit 60 is a crank 62, which can be manually rotated to effect corresponding rotation of theshaft 61 upon which the support 44 is mounted.

The self-locking feature of the unit 60 prevents rotation of the shaft 61 except by the crank 62.

To supply fluid under pressure for the cylinder 20, a conventional hydraulic pump 65 (FIG. 1) is mounted in the cabinet 11 adjacent the cylinder 20 for operation by a foot pedal 66, which projects out of a slot in the rear wall of the cabinet 11 adjacent the lower end thereof. The pump 65 is connected in known manner to the lower end of the cylinder 20, so that when the pump 65 is operated by the foot pedal 66, fluid under pressure is forced into the lower end of the cylinder 20 thereby causing its piston 23 to project out of the upper end of the cylinder to force the overlying cable 27 upwardly in the cabinet 11. This causes end 29 at the cable to draw the bar 31, and hence the arms 32 and 33 upwardly, the vertical motion of the arms being guided by the travel of the rollers 36 and 42 in the channels or tracks 38 and 39. To lower the arms 32 and 33 a manually operable switch 67 on the rear of the cabinet 11 is connected in any known manner, either mechanically or electrically to a conventional control valve, which allows fluid under pressure in the cylinder 22 to be returned to the system sump, which supplies fluid to the pump 65 in known manner. When switch 67 is operated to open the control valve, it enables the retraction of the piston rod 23, and the lowering of the arms 32 and 33.

In use, truck 10 is pushed manually about by means of a handle 68, which extends between a pair of brackets 69 that projects from the rear of cabinet 11. To pick up a bowl B from a table, for example, the truck is manipulated until its two arms 32 and 33 flankopposite sides of the bowl, with the supports 44 and 45 positioned beneath the bowl handles H. The pump 65 is then operated by manipulating the foot pedal 66 to cause the piston rod 23 to advance and elevate the arms 32 and 33 sufficiently to cause the supports 44 and 45 to pass their flanges 48 upwardly through the openings in the handles H and into engagement with the underside of the rolled lip on the bowl as illustrated, for example, in FIG. 2. This movement causes the handgrip portions H of the handles to seat in the slots 47 formed in the upper ends of the base sections 46 of the supports (FIG. The arms 32 and 33 are elevated far enough to lift the bowl off of the table after which the truck can be manipulated to convey the bowl to, for example, a conventional mixer of the commercial variety.

This type of mixer usually has a bifurcated support which passes around the bowl and beneath a supporting rib 70 (FIG. 5) on the bowl, when the latter is positioned properly at the mixer. The switch 67 may then be operated to release hydraulic fluid from the lower end of cylinder so that arms 32 and 33, and hence bowl B, will be allowed to drop far enough to enable the bowl rib 70 to become seated on the bifurcated sup-' port (not illustrated) on the mixer. Thereafter the arms 32 and 33 continue todrop until the supports 44 and 45 pass below, and become completely disengaged from the handles H on the bowl. Thereafter the truck 10 may be backed off from the mixer, leaving the bowl B positioned on the mixer support beneath the associated beater, and permitting the truck to be used to manipulate other bowls if necessary, while the contents of the bowl previously deposited at the mixer are being blended. When the mixing operation is complete, the truck 10 can again be used to elevate the bowl from the mixer support and to convey the bowl to another station in the kitchen.

Whenever it is necessary to empty the contents of the bowl B, while the bowl is mounted on the truck 10, the operator need only to rotate the crank handle 62 to cause the support 44 to be swung about its pivotal axis. This pivotal motion is also imparted to the bowl B,and by the bowl to the other pivotal support 45, which thus allows the bowl to be swung manually into and out of pouring positions.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the instant invention will considerably reduce the effort heretofore required to manipulate heavy mixing bowls of the type described. By combining the truck and bowl elevating features into a single unit, substantial savings in time and expense are achieved, as compared to prior devices. The truck 10 is extremely simple to operate,

since the special bowl supports 44 and 45 automatically engage and disengage the bowl handles when the arms 32 and 33 are elevated and lowered respectively. Moreover by employing differently sized spacers 53 the dis tance between the supports 44 and 45 can be readily adjusted to adapt the unit for use with differently sized mixing bowls. Also, the gear unit enables a loaded bowl to be tilted or pivoted on the arms 32 and 33 for pouring purposes, and without having first to remove the bowl from the truck.

While only a single embodiment of the invention has I i been illustrated and described in detail herein, it will be apparent that this application is intended to cover any modification thereof as may be apparent to one skilled in the art, and which may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

l. A lift truck for transporting a mixing bowl of the type having a pair of handles projecting from diame trally opposite sides thereof, comprising a housing,

a pair of spaced legs attached to, and projecting forwardly beyond the front of, said housing,

a plurality of wheels supporting said housing and its legs for movement into and out of an operative position in which a mixing bowl registers with the space between said legs,

a pair of spaced, parallel, vertically movable arms projecting in cantilever fashion forwardly from said housing above said legs to flank opposite sides of.

a bowl, when said housing is in said operative position,

a pair of spaced, confronting supports mounted for pivotal movement on said arms adjacent the outer. ends thereof and positioned to be elevated by said arms releasably into engagement with a pair of handles projecting from diametrally opposite sides of said bowl, thereby to support the bowl releasably between said arms,

drive means in said housing connected to said arms for selectively raising and lowering said arms to raise and lower, respectively, said bowl relative to said housing, when the bowl is supported between said arms,

said supports being pivotal about a common axis located forwardly of said housing and extending transverse to said arms, and

manually operable means for tilting said supports,

and the bowl supported thereby, about said axis to enable the contents of said bowl to be poured while the bowl is supported between said arms each of said supports having thereon a pair of vertically disposed projections defining therebetween a slot, each pair of said projections being located in spaced, confronting relation to a corresponding pair of projections on the other support, the vertical projections on said supports being positioned to pass around opposite sides of a bowl and beneath the handles thereon, when said housing is wheeled into operative relation with respect to a bowl, whereby upon elevation of said arms, said supports move upwardly into engagement with the bowl handles to support the bowl on said arms, whereby the handles become seated in said slots, one of said vertical projections of each pair of projections on said supports being positioned simultaneously to engage in openings in the handles on said bowl, when said arms are elevated, and to become disengaged from said openings in said handles, when said arms are lowered.

2. A lift truck as defined in claim 1, including means for adjustably attaching said supports to said arms to adjust the space between said vertical projections in accordance with the diameter of the bowls to be supported by said arms.

3. A lift truck as defined in claim 1, wherein said drive means comprises a hydraulic cylinder in said housing,

a pump for supplying fluid under pressure to said cylinder,

a retractable piston rod projecting from one end of said cylinder, and

means connecting said rod to said arms to elevate and lower said arms when said fluid is supplied to and discharged from, respectively, said cylinder.

4. A lift truck for transporting a mixing bowl of the type having a pair of handles projecting from diametrally opposite sides thereof, comprising a housing,

a pair of spaced legs attached to, and projecting forwardly beyond the front of said housing,

a plurality of wheels supporting said housing and its legs for movement into and out of an operative position in which a mixing bowl registers with the space between said legs, pair of spaced, parallel, vertically movable arms projecting in cantilever fashion forwardly from said housing above said legs to flank opposite sides of a bowl, when said housing is in said operative position,

a pair of spaced, confronting supports mounted for pivotal movement on said arms adjacent the outer ends thereof and positioned to be elevated by said arms releasably into engagement with a pair of handles projecting from diametrally opposite sides of said bowl, thereby to support the bowl releasably between said arms,

drive means in said housing connected to said arms for selectively raising and lowering said arms to raise and lower, respectively, said bow] relative to said housing, when the bowl is supported between said arms,

said supports being pivotal about a common axis located forwardly of said housing and extending transverse to said arms, and

manually operable means for tilting said supports, and the bowl supported thereby, about said axis to enable the contents of said bowl to be poured while the bowl is supported between said arms, wherein said supports further comprising a pair of blocks releasably secured to the inside surfaces of said arms, and each of said blocks having a slot in its upper surface for accommodating the handgrip portion of the bowl handle and a vertical projection spaced from said slot which extends into an opening in the last-named handle upon movement of said supports into engagement with said handles to prevent the supported bowl from pivoting relative to the supports during tilting.

5. A lift truck as defined in claim 4, including means mounting said blocks on said arms for pivotal movement about a common axis extending at right angles to said arms, and

crank-operated means on one of said arms connected to one of said blocks and operable to pivot the lastnamed block about said axis thereby to tilt a bowl mounted onlsaid supports to pour out the contents of the bowl.

6. A lift truck for transporting a mixing bowl of the type having a pair of handgrips projecting from opposite sides thereof, comprising a mobile housing supported on wheels for movement into and out of operative relation to a mixing bowl,

a pair of stationary, vertical tracks mounted in said housing,

a pair of spaced, parallel arms mounted at their inner ends on said tracks for vertical movement thereon, and projecting in cantilever fashion horizontally out of a pair of vertical slots in said housing to flank a mixing bowl disposed in operative relation to the housing,

drive means in said housing connected to said arms and operable selectively to raise and lower said arms in unison,

a pair of bowl supports removably and adjustably mounted on the outer ends of said arms and disposed to engage said bowl at diametrally opposite sides thereof to lift the bowl, when said arms are elevated, and automatically to lower and disengage said bowl, when said arms are lowered,

means for adjusting the lateral spacing of said supports relative to their respective arms to enable use of the truck with bowls of different size, and

means mounting said supports on said arms for pivotal movement about a common axis to enable tilting and pouring of a bowl mounted on said supports,

each of said supports having in its upper surface a slot for accomodating one of said handgrips. 

1. A lift truck for transporting a mixing bowl of the type having a pair of handles projecting from diametrally opposite sides thereof, comprising a housing, a pair of spaced legs attached to, and projecting forwardly beyond the front of, said housing, a plurality of wheels supporting said housing and its legs for movement into and out of an operative position in which a mixing bowl registers with the space between said legs, a pair of spaced, parallel, vertically movable arms projecting in cantilever fashion forwardly from said housing above said legs to flank opposite sides of a bowl, when said housing is in said operative position, a pair of spaced, confronting supports mounted for pivotal movement on said arms adjacent the outer ends thereof and positioned to be elevated by said arms releasably into engagement with a pair of handles projecting from diametrally opposite sides of said bowl, thereby to support the bowl releasably between said arms, drive means in said housing connected to said arms for selectively raising and lowering said arms to raise and lower, respectively, said bowl relative to said housing, when the bowl is supported between said arms, said supports being pivotal about a common axis located forwardly of said housing and extending transverse to said arms, and manually operable means for tilting said supports, and the bowl supported thereby, about said axis to enable the contents of said bowl to be poured while the bowl is supported between said arms each of said supports having thereon a pair of vertically disposed projections defining therebetween a slot, each pair of said projections being located in spaced, confronting relation to a corresponding pair of projections on the other support, the vertical projections on said supports being positioned to pass around opposite sides of a bowl and beneath the handles thereon, when said housing is wheeled into operative relation with respect to a bowl, whereby upon elevation of said arms, said supports move upwardly into engagement with the bowl handles to support the bowl on said arms, whereby the handles become seated in said slots, one of said vertical projections of each pair of projections on said supports being positioned simultaneously to engagE in openings in the handles on said bowl, when said arms are elevated, and to become disengaged from said openings in said handles, when said arms are lowered.
 2. A lift truck as defined in claim 1, including means for adjustably attaching said supports to said arms to adjust the space between said vertical projections in accordance with the diameter of the bowls to be supported by said arms.
 3. A lift truck as defined in claim 1, wherein said drive means comprises a hydraulic cylinder in said housing, a pump for supplying fluid under pressure to said cylinder, a retractable piston rod projecting from one end of said cylinder, and means connecting said rod to said arms to elevate and lower said arms when said fluid is supplied to and discharged from, respectively, said cylinder.
 4. A lift truck for transporting a mixing bowl of the type having a pair of handles projecting from diametrally opposite sides thereof, comprising a housing, a pair of spaced legs attached to, and projecting forwardly beyond the front of said housing, a plurality of wheels supporting said housing and its legs for movement into and out of an operative position in which a mixing bowl registers with the space between said legs, a pair of spaced, parallel, vertically movable arms projecting in cantilever fashion forwardly from said housing above said legs to flank opposite sides of a bowl, when said housing is in said operative position, a pair of spaced, confronting supports mounted for pivotal movement on said arms adjacent the outer ends thereof and positioned to be elevated by said arms releasably into engagement with a pair of handles projecting from diametrally opposite sides of said bowl, thereby to support the bowl releasably between said arms, drive means in said housing connected to said arms for selectively raising and lowering said arms to raise and lower, respectively, said bowl relative to said housing, when the bowl is supported between said arms, said supports being pivotal about a common axis located forwardly of said housing and extending transverse to said arms, and manually operable means for tilting said supports, and the bowl supported thereby, about said axis to enable the contents of said bowl to be poured while the bowl is supported between said arms, wherein said supports further comprising a pair of blocks releasably secured to the inside surfaces of said arms, and each of said blocks having a slot in its upper surface for accommodating the handgrip portion of the bowl handle and a vertical projection spaced from said slot which extends into an opening in the last-named handle upon movement of said supports into engagement with said handles to prevent the supported bowl from pivoting relative to the supports during tilting.
 5. A lift truck as defined in claim 4, including means mounting said blocks on said arms for pivotal movement about a common axis extending at right angles to said arms, and crank-operated means on one of said arms connected to one of said blocks and operable to pivot the last-named block about said axis thereby to tilt a bowl mounted on said supports to pour out the contents of the bowl.
 6. A lift truck for transporting a mixing bowl of the type having a pair of handgrips projecting from opposite sides thereof, comprising a mobile housing supported on wheels for movement into and out of operative relation to a mixing bowl, a pair of stationary, vertical tracks mounted in said housing, a pair of spaced, parallel arms mounted at their inner ends on said tracks for vertical movement thereon, and projecting in cantilever fashion horizontally out of a pair of vertical slots in said housing to flank a mixing bowl disposed in operative relation to the housing, drive means in said housing connected to said arms and operable selectively to raise and lower said arms in unison, a pair of bowl supports removably and adjustably mountEd on the outer ends of said arms and disposed to engage said bowl at diametrally opposite sides thereof to lift the bowl, when said arms are elevated, and automatically to lower and disengage said bowl, when said arms are lowered, means for adjusting the lateral spacing of said supports relative to their respective arms to enable use of the truck with bowls of different size, and means mounting said supports on said arms for pivotal movement about a common axis to enable tilting and pouring of a bowl mounted on said supports, each of said supports having in its upper surface a slot for accomodating one of said handgrips. 